Outdoor gallery shows outdoor works

LIKE many artists during the pandemic, Julie Mahnken used the lockdown to explore her immediate environment, and took note of the foliage around Victoria Park and Lake Wendouree.

Her latest exhibition, We Are Its Creatures, displayed at Unicorn Lane, is the result of this “exploration,” and she said the message behind the works is one of an environmental urgency.

“A lot of artists have talked about how they’ve noticed more around them because we had to be spending more time in it,” she said.

“These works elevate the idea of that, inspired by the immensity and power of the changing natural world. It’s about how nature has shaped our lives through the pandemic.

“And when you look at the environment and the destruction of trees and the natural habitat, we can’t continue to ignore that.”

The display comprises nine charcoal drawings depicting trees located around Ballarat, with the works for sale.

Mahnken said there’s been a “natural appeal” for audiences as Unicorn Lane functions as an outdoor gallery.

“Trees are very much an iconic image that people relate to so that means they can emotionally connect to them more in a positive way,” she said.

“And being able to put them in that outdoor space just ties in perfectly with the message. Lots of people can see them as they walk past so it’s definitely given me a broader reach.

“It’s very much an outdoor gallery for an outdoor idea.”

We Are Its Creatures will run until Wednesday, 1 June.